Name of the Project
Umoyilanga hybrid renewables battery project.

Location
Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
EDF Renewables and Perpetua Holdings.

Project Description
The project forms part of the South African government’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, or RMIPPPP.

The project combines solar, wind and battery storage technologies, and will operate as a virtual power plant, combining generation from two sites that are 900 km apart – Avondale, in the Northern Cape, with a capacity of 115 MW of solar power and 30 MW of battery storage; and Dassiesridge, in the Eastern Cape, with 63 MW of wind energy and 45 MW of battery storage.

The solar installation at Avondale will supply most of the energy during the day, supplemented by wind energy from Dassiesridge. Excess solar energy will be used to charge the batteries at Avondale, which will discharge after sunset.

Dassiesridge will generally charge from wind energy at night, discharging power in the morning until the sun rises.

A sophisticated energy management system will give instructions to assets across both sites to optimise the power supply in real time, depending on weather forecasts and Eskom’s requirements.

The low-carbon electricity produced will help to meet the electricity needs of 120 000 households for 20 years, based on State-owned power utility Eskom’s residential household consumption average of 3 319 kWh.

The project will produce electricity in line with a 20-year power purchase agreement ratified in August 2023.

Potential Job Creation
The project has committed to providing about 450 full-time jobs during the construction period.

Capital Expenditure
The project is receiving financial backing from Nedbank, Rand Merchant Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Planned Start/End Date
The commercial operation date is set for 2025.

Latest Developments
Trina Solar, in partnership with China Energy International Group and China Gezhouba Group, announced the start of module deliveries to the Avondale project on May 10.

Trina Solar will power the project using 109 968 panels of its NEG21C.20 Vertex N modules.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
China Energy Engineering Corporation (design, procurement, and construction – Avondale PV plant); Trina Solar, in partnership with China Energy International Group and China Gezhouba Group (solar modules); Vestas (wind turbines – Dassiesridge); and Power Construction and Adenco Construction (wind balance of plant – Dassiesridge).

Contact Details for Project Information
EDF Renewables, tel +27216574200 or email info@edf-re.co.za.